You may be wondering how to start building a following on Instagram. The truth is that you can start your journey by using some of the techniques listed below. These methods can help you gain more followers and boost engagement. In addition to following other people, you can also use hashtags to increase your reach. Here are some examples:
User-generated content
User-generated content is a gold mine for marketers. Leading brands have already embraced it as a way to drive sales and engagement on social media. What’s more, user-generated content is practically free! And it’s more persuasive than any other type of content, including ads and product descriptions. According to a study, 79 percent of consumers say that user-generated content influences their purchasing decision.
To maximize the benefits of UGC, brands must give credit where credit is due. Sharing content without crediting its creator may result in negative feedback from followers. Always tag the creators of UGC. This not only ensures its authenticity, but also boosts its effectiveness. Users often view UGC as more authentic than the brands’ own content, which makes it more powerful. However, it’s important to know how to balance product shots and user-generated content.
Announcement posts
A great Instagram marketing strategy should begin with identifying your target audience. This audience varies in age, interests, and demographics. By researching your audience, you can determine what kind of posts will appeal to them and motivate them to buy from you. In order to reach them, your announcement posts should align with your branding and aesthetic. In addition to identifying your target audience, you should know which hashtags to use and what kind of content they prefer.
‘Teaser’ posts
Teaser posts are great for building anticipation for a larger campaign. There are many ways to use teasers to increase engagement: you can post photos and videos to create interest, or you can use Instagram Stories to push teasers. The goal of teasers is to create anticipation and inspire people to continue to follow your account. The best teasers are based on the type of content you’re promoting.
Auditing competitors’ Instagram profiles
Before you begin building your Instagram marketing strategy, you should know how to audit competitors’ profiles. You can do this in several ways. First, you can check whether they use hashtags to boost visibility. If so, use at least 10 hashtags on each post. If not, use geolocation or tagging to increase your content’s visibility. Finally, you can look at their tactics to see how they are using Instagram. The most important part of an Instagram audit is to analyze their metrics, including Reach, Followers, and Engagement rate.
The next step in auditing competitors’ Instagram accounts is to figure out what makes their posts interesting. Check the captions and see if yours are interesting enough to attract new followers. Make sure your content and style match that of your competitors’. Depending on your target persona, you can use content from different competitors as inspiration for your own posts. Also, check the posts’ timing. If your competitors are posting during the day, post your content at a time when you’re most likely to get more engagement.
Using hashtags
Using hashtags in your Instagram marketing strategy can boost your reach and increase your brand’s visibility. There are several things to keep in mind when using them. Firstly, they should be as short as possible and ideally, do not contain spaces. Additionally, they should only be used in public posts, and you should use a first-letter-caps format for your hashtags. This will help users understand what the hashtag is, and also help you in figuring out how to use it in your posts.
When using hashtags for Instagram marketing, remember that most users search for content based on a hashtag. Use trending hashtags to promote your content and reach the right audience. Use the Instagram search bar to find trending hashtags. You can also use the Keyword Tool to generate hashtags based on keywords. Be sure to use only relevant hashtags that match the subject matter of your posts. If possible, use both trending hashtags that are specific to your niche.
Using Instagram Insights
To maximize organic reach, brands must make use of Instagram insights. These insights show the types of content that users engage with, what hashtags they use, and what communities they belong to. Knowing these details will help brands build an organic strategy and target their audience. For example, if you follow a popular sports team, your followers are likely to see more content from that team. For the same reason, your followers may like a product or service that you offer, but do not buy it.
To understand your audience, you can use Instagram insights to tailor your content accordingly. For example, you can analyze when and how often your audience engages with your posts by knowing the top cities in your target demographic. Knowing this information can help you create better content. For instance, if a large portion of your audience consists of non-English speakers, you may want to post more often in these countries.
